November 23, 2013

Cowboys spent bye thinking of ways to get Bryant, other receivers the ball, but don't want to 'reinvent the wheel'

The Cowboys spent a lot of time during the bye thinking of ways to get Dez Bryant the ball, and to spring him and the other receivers.

But offensive coordinator Bill Callahan did not want to overboard.

“They always say, ‘Don’t give coaches too much time, because they’ll re-invent the wheel,” he said this week at Valley Ranch. “We’ve been kind of cautious in that regard. We’ve moderated that and tried to temper how much we put ini new, and how much we’re going to maintain.”

But certainly, the Cowboys want to put a new emphasis on Bryant, their leading touchdown receiver and biggest home run threat, after he got only two targets in New Orleans.

“We’ve taken the bye week and spent a lot of time trying to position guys in different locations and spots,” Callahan said. “We’re anxious to get going and see what it looks like.”

The return of Miles Austin to the lineup is also going to help, Callahan said.

“He gives us a lot of flexibility within the personnel groupings,” he said. “I know coach Dooley was a little bit short with personnel the last few weeks, and this allows him to have a little bit more depth and a little bit more flexibility and shifting guys around and putting them in different spots.”

Bryant is the Cowboys’ leading receiver, with 52 catches for 749 yards and eight touchdowns.

But the next receiver, Terrance Williams, is only No. 4 on the Cowboys’ receiving list. Tight end Jason Witten is second, and running back DeMarco Murray is third.